Just a  few days after the I-T raids on high-profile Karnataka Power Minister DK Shivakumar,  I-T sleuths on Wednesday conducted  searches again in 10 locations in Bengaluru, Chennai and Delhi belonging to the Minister. An Income Tax official said, “The searches were conducted at 10 places in three cities -- Bengaluru, Chennai and Delhi -- in connection with the DK Shivakumar case.” The I-T departement sources the searches conducted included the house of KPCC member Vijay Mulgund.

In a coordinated effort, over 400 I-T sleuths had in August raided many properties allegedly belonging to DK Shivakumar, who was then incharge of 44 Congress MlAs from Gujarat who were holed up in a posh resort on the outskirts of Bengaluru. The raids have triggered a major political controversy between the Congress and the BJP.

The I-T department is yet to make an official statement on the outcome of the raids, which had been described by the ruling Congress in the State as “political vendetta” and an attempt to “browbeat” opponents.

However BJP is alleging that  the Siddaramaiah led Congress Government is indulging in vendetta politics and using Anti Corruption Bureau(ACB) to file charge sheet against lingayat strongman BS Yeddyurappa who has approached the Karnataka high court to quash the cases against him.

 As the heat is on for both the political parties ahead of crucial assembly polls, they are leaving no stone untouched. The appeasement politics of Siddaramaiah to the hilt and BJP’s mission 150 to make Congress mukth Karnataka has all theatrics witnessing  ahead of polls. Eom/blr